Chrysanthemum plant--Funglow cultivar

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named Funglow is provided. The new cultivar is a spontaneous mutation of the Funray cultivar (non-patented in the United States). More specifically, the new cultivar forms attractive relatively small bicolored flowers wherein the petals are dark yellow and the disc florets on the distal ends particularly towards the center bear a dark greyed-purple coloration (as illustrated). The infloresence tends to be pyramidal in configuration. The response period of the flowers is approximately eight weeks. The new cultivar is particularly suited for use in the production of a cut anemone spray under greenhouse conditions.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum, botanically known as Chrysanthemum morifolium, Ramat.,and hereinafter is referred to by the cultivar name Funglow.

The new Funglow cultivar is a spontaneous mutation of unknown causationwhich was discovered and carefully preserved during the course of plantselection work which was conducted by me. The new cultivar wasdiscovered during March, 1990 among plants of the Funray cultivar(non-patented in the United States) being grown under my directsupervision at De Lier, The Netherlands. The Funray cultivar was aspontaneous mutation of the Funshine cultivar (U.S. Ser. No. 719,461,filed concurrently herewith.)

It was observed that a plant consistently formed bicolored flowers withdark yellow petals which included dark greyed-purple coloration on thedistal ends of the disc florets (as illustrated) unlike the light yellowpetals and light brown disc coloration of the Funray cultivar. Also, theleaves of new Funglow cultivar are dark green while those of the parentFunray cultivar are light green, and the growth of the new Funglowcultivar is strongly vegetative which can be contrasted to the lessvegetative growth character of the Funray cultivar. All of the othercharacteristics of this plant were found to be substantially identicalto those of the Funray cultivar. Had I not discovered, carefullystudied, and preserved this new cultivar, it would have been lost tomankind. This new cultivar is particularly well suited for growing inthe production of a cut anemone spray.

It was found that the new cultivar of the present invention:

(a) exhibits attractive relatively small anemone flowers having anoverall diameter of approximately 40 mm. wherein the petals are darkyellow and the disc florets particularly towards the center bear a darkgreyed-purple coloration on the distal ends,

(b) bears flowers in a somewhat pyramidal configuration,

(c) exhibits a flower response period of approximately eight weeks,

(d) forms attractive dark green foliage, and

(e) has the ability to produce flowers of commercially acceptablequality throughout the year in a cut mum production program.

Asexual reproduction of the new cultivar by cuttings as performed at DeLier, The Netherlands, in a controlled environment has demonstrated thatthe characteristics of the new cultivar as herein disclosed are firmlyfixed and are retained through successive generations of asexualpropagation.

Funglow has not been observed under all possible environmentalconditions to date. Accordingly, it is possible that the phenotype mayvary somewhat with variations in the environment, such as temperature,light, day length, contact with pesticides and/or subjection to growthretardant treatments.

When the new cultivar is compared to the Improved Funshine cultivar(U.S. Ser. No. 07/719,464, filed concurrently herewith), it is notedthat the Improved Funshine cultivar exhibits white petals and a strongerand more intense red coloration on the distal ends of the disc floretsthan the parent Funshine cultivar. When the new cultivar of the presentinvention is compared to the Funbeam cultivar (U.S. Ser. No. 07/719,463,filed concurrently herewith), it is noted that the Funbeam cultivarexhibits light red-purple petals, and even more intense coloration onthe distal ends of the disc florets than the Improved Funshine cultivar.When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to theFunrise cultivar (U.S. Ser. No. 07/719,465, filed concurrentlyherewith), it is noted that the Funrise cultivar exhibits red-purplepetals which tend to be slightly darker than those of the Funbeamcultivar and tends to exhibit a less intense red coloration on thedistal ends of the disc florets than the Improved Funshine cultivar.When the new cultivar of the present invention is compared to the Funsetcultivar (U.S. Ser. No. 07/719,462, filed concurrently herewith), it isnoted that the Funset cultivar exhibits very light-red petals andorange-red coloration on the distal ends of the disc florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph shows as nearly true as it is reasonablypossible to make the same in a color illustration of this character, atypical specimen of an overall plant of the new cultivar. The plant wasgrown in a greenhouse at De Lier, The Netherlands.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The chart used in the identification of colors described hereafter isThe R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society, London,England. The color values were determined at 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noonunder natural daylight conditions at De Lier, The Netherlands, duringSeptember, 1990. The plants described were grown under standardgreenhouse conditions which approximate those commonly utilized for theproduction of cut mums.

Classification:

Botanical.--Chrysanthemum morifolium Ramat., cv. Funglow.

Commercial.--Cut anemone spray.

Inflorescence

A. Capitulum:

Form.--Pyramidal.

Type.--Anemone.

Diameter across face.--Approximately 40 mm. on average.

Diameter of flower center.--Approximately 25 mm. on average.

B. Corolla of ray and disc florets:

Color (General tonality from a distance of three meters).--Yellow withdark center.

Color ray florets (top surface).--Yellow, Yellow group 12A.

Color disc florets.--Greyed-purple group 185A.

C. Reproductive organs:

Androecium.--Not present.

Gynoecium.--Present in both ray and disc florets.

Plant

A. General appearance:

Height.--Approximately 90 cm. on average.

B. Foliage:

Color (upper surface).--Yellow-green group 147A.

Color (under surface).--Yellow-green group 147B.

I claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant namedFunglow, substantially as herein shown and described, which:(a) exhibitsattractive relatively small anemone flowers having an overall diameterof approximately 40 mm. wherein the petals are dark yellow and the discflorets particularly towards the center bear a dark greyed-purplecoloration on the distal ends, (b) bears flowers in a somewhat pyramidalconfiguration, (c) exhibits a flower response period of approximatelyeight weeks, (d) forms attractive dark green foliage, and (e) has theability to produce flowers of commercially acceptable quality throughoutthe year in a cut mum production program.